It's Going to Be a Long Summer
by DarrenCrissIsAwesome
Summary: For their safety the Potters send James and Sirius to live at the Evans' for the summer before their 7th year. James loves Lily but Lily still hates James. Can he change her mind before summer ends? Revised version of my earlier story of the same name.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. **

**So I was reading through my stories and I realized that "Its going to be a long summer" was not my best and so I decided to rewrite it. I hope this one is better! I already have four chapters written so updates should come fairly quickly. Enjoy!**

James Potter threw another couple t-shirts in his trunk and sighed. Looking around his room he felt the urge to cry at its emptiness. For once in his life he could see the floor and his desk, which were no longer littered with Zonko's products, candy wrappers, and clothes. His walls, which had once been adorned with Quidditch posters and pictures of him with his three best mates were now just faded blue, the color his Mum had picked out when he was born. On his bed, which still had the Quidditch sheets he'd gotten for his seventh birthday, lay his trunk, his broomstick, and his pillow which upon picking up he had a found a picture of Lily Evans that he placed there fourth year (he immediately stored it safely in his trunk). It wasn't that he was leaving forever, only for the summer, but he was the kind of guy who was sentimental and he had packed almost every little knickknack located throughout his room. He supposed it was so in his temporary room for the summer he could convince himself that he was home if all his pictures, posters, and trophies decorated the walls in the same fashion that they did at Potter manor.

"James, Sirius!" His Mum called from downstairs as he placed his last shirt into the trunk, which even with an undetectable extension charm was still packed to the brim. "Are you ready to go?"

"I'll be right down!" He heard his best mate Sirius call from his own bedroom across the hall.

"Yeah, coming Mum!" James said, snapping his trunk closed, grabbing his wand off the bedside table and grabbing his trunk, pillow, and broom before heading to the door. He flicked off the lights and lumbered into the hallway just as Sirius was coming out of his room.

"Bit sad isn't it mate?" Sirius asked, nodding towards James bedroom.

"A little." James said with a shrug. "But its not like we're leaving forever and I honestly don't understand why we have to leave in the first place."

"Come on James. Even I listened enough to know that answer." Sirius said, rolling his eyes as they continued towards the stairs. "Your Dad is a big auror blah blah blah and your Mum thinks we would be safer if we spent the summer at a muggle house."

"I get that. But we're of age and we can take care of ourselves. I don't feel right leaving them here if they're supposedly in so much danger." James explained.

"Agreed. But your parents took me in when my own family wouldn't and I'm going to do whatever they say." Sirius said, heaving his trunk down one last step and heading off down the hall towards the kitchen. James followed, knowing that he was going to end up going without complaint if Sirius wasn't going to protest.

"Ready to go?" She asked, as James stepped through the door behind Sirius.

"Yes ma'am." Sirius said with a smile. Mrs. Potter rolled her eyes and turned to James.

"Are you ready sweetheart?"

"Can I ask a question first?" James asked. His Mum nodded so he continued. "Where exactly are we going?"

"A muggle family with a daughter at Hogwarts. We decided it was best because you would be hidden from Wizarding world but if some Death Eaters happened to show up, because you know how they are with muggles these days, you guys could offer some sort of protection.'

"Oh ok." James mumbled, nodding. He was silent for a few seconds before he lifted his head again. "What year is she in?"

"Who dear?"

"The girl. The one that goes to Hogwarts."

"Um not sure." Mrs. Potter said frowning, not believing she had forgot to ask that. "Her name is Lily though. Lily Evans." As Mrs. Potter finished her answer, James' mouth dropped open in shock and Sirius let out a bark like laugh before slapping his hand over his mouth to stifle his giggling. She raised an eyebrow. "I assume you two know her?"

"Lily Evans!" Sirius exclaimed with another laugh. "This is too rich. Of all the people in the school! Lily Evans!" He laughed again. Looking at his adopted Mum's confused face he calmed himself down and continued. "Lily, she's in our year, absolutely despises Jamesie boy here but he's been in love with her since third year!"

"Have not." James mumbled, finally closing his mouth. "I've liked her since third year. I've only loved her since like last year."

"So you admit you love her then?" Sirius asked with a grin. James blushed and started admiring his broom as though he had just realized it was sitting on the table.

"Why does she hate him?"

"Because whenever she comes around he clams up and ends up acting like a," Sirius paused and looked his best mate. "What were Lily's words James?"

"An arrogant toerag."

"Right that. Anyways he's always asking her out even though she's clearly never going to say yes, blinded by love Moony says, and so she hates him. Like can't even stand to be in the same room as him hates him."

"I want her to like me so bad Mum that I have troubles controlling what I do around her." James admitted, his face turning bright red. Mrs. Potter sighed.

"Just treat her like you would a friend." She said, sadness washing over her as she looked at how depressed her son seemed to be. "Try to forget about your feelings for awhile. Slowly she'll warm up to you. I promise. We better get going."

"You're still going to send me into a death trap?" James asked in shock.

"Oh with this new information there is no way I'm letting you out of there. You need to learn not to be such an arrogant toerag." Mrs. Potter said with a grin as Sirius let out a snort. James punched his shoulder but followed his Mum reluctantly out the door. "You said goodbye to your father right?"

"Last night." James answered.

"Good." She waved her wand with a flourish and all their luggage disappeared. She then gave both James and Sirius a long hug. "Write me when you get there so I know you apparated alright."

"We'll see you in August Mum." James said, kissing her on the cheek. "We'll write at least once a week."

"Be yourself James." She said, as she pulled back. She jumped a little in surprise. "Your owl! You forgot him. How are you supposed to write without your owl? Accio Harold."

"I still can't believe you named your owl Harold." Sirius said as the owl came zooming out the back door.

"I was eleven!" James said crossing his arms stubbornly. Once the owl had disappeared Mrs. Potter gave them both one last hug and told them to get going. Turning on the spot they disappeared with a pop.

"Lily have you cleaned your room?" Mrs. Evans asked as she entered the sitting room to find her daughter lounging with a book.

"For what?"

"Our guests." Mrs. Evans explained timidly. Lily frowned.

"Well they're not staying in my room are they?"

"Well no but-"

"They why does it have to be clean?"

"Lily can't you be a bit nicer?"

"You invited James Potter and Sirius Black, the two people I hate most at Hogwarts, to come stay with us for summer and you expect me to be nice about it?" Lily asked, snapping her book closed.

"They can't be that bad." Rose said. "His mother seemed very nice on the phone."

"Doesn't mean he's nice does it? He's arrogant, and big headed. His ego is the size of Petunia's whale of boyfriend." Before Rose could open her mouth to respond there was a pop from the kitchen, followed shortly by another and then they could hear voices.

"I can't do this Padfoot." James said. Lily strained to listen as her Mum headed towards the door. She got up and followed as Sirius responded.

"Don't be a drama queen. Of course you can. I mean how hard can it be to act like yourself?"

"Around Evans? Impossible. You don't understand what its like when I'm around her. Its as though someone has taken a bludger bat and beaten my brains until I can't form a coherent sentence." James said. Lily didn't know whether to be shocked or not, but didn't have time to decide when her Mum pushed open the kitchen door.

"Morning Evans!" Sirius said, grinning at Lily. "Fancy seeing you here."

"Oh shove off Black." Lily said coolly, folding her arms across her chest.

"Its nice to meet you Mrs. Evans." James said, sticking his hand out.

"Oh please call me Rose." She said with a smile as she shook it. "And you're, James?" She guessed.

"Yes ma'am." He said with a nod. "This is Sirius. I can't thank you enough for letting us stay here over the summer."

"Its no problem really. We're glad you're here." Lily wasn't sure who the 'we' referred to but she was to busy trying not to gape at the fact Potter was being polite to figure it out.

"We brought these for you." James continued, producing a box of chocolates from his trunk. "It's the least we could do." He handed them over to Rose and she smiled, telling him once again that it really wasn't a problem. Lily caught her mother's eye and she nodded towards James mouthing, 'I like him'. Lily rolled her eyes. Her mother had fallen for Potter's charm, just like every other girl on the planet, except for her of course. Rose placed the chocolates on the counter and turned to Lily.

"Why don't you show the boys where they'll be staying so they can get settled in." Rose said, motioned towards their luggage. Lily was going to protest but caught her mother's eye and complied.

"This way." She grumbled, leading the two boys towards the stairs. Once at the top of the stairs she passed the door to her room and stopped in front of the door next to it. She tried to tell her Mum that placing Black and Potter, the womanizers of the school, in the room next to hers was not something she wanted to do but Rose just laughed it off. "This is your room. Bathroom is over there." She said, pointing to the door across the hall before heading towards the stairs.

"Well doesn't she just seem ecstatic to see you?" Sirius asked as they pushed open the door to their room and headed inside. James frowned.

"No actually she looked pretty pissed with the arrangement."

"I was joking mate." Sirius said, staring at James with a raised eyebrow. "You know, being sarcastic?"

"Yeah I knew that." James mumbled, throwing his trunk on the bed closest to the door. He opened it and started placing his clothes in the wardrobe beside his bed when he came to the picture of Lily and stopped.

"James what is that?" Sirius asked, trying to peer over James' shoulder.

"Nothing." James said quickly, stuffing the picture back in his trunk, his cheeks red. Sirius made a grab for it but James shoved him out of the way.

"It is not nothing. Mate, you're blushing." Sirius said with a laugh. This made James go even redder. Sirius shook his head and walked back to his own trunk. "I know it was a picture of Evans, Prongsie."

"Was not." James said, sounding like a small child.

"Was too." Sirius retorted. "I've seen you go through some embarrassing shit and you never blush. When it comes to Evans, however, red as a tomato. Every time."

"You're a git you know that?"

"Sure. And I'm proud of it." Sirius said, closing his trunk and grinning at his best friend. "Want to go exploring Evan's room?" Lily, who had been listening outside the door, narrowed her eyes. In normal circumstances she would've felt bad about eavesdropper twice in one day but this was Potter and Black. She prepared herself to storm in there and shout at them when James spoke.

"Please don't Padfoot?" He pleaded. Lily's mouth dropped open. Potter was defending her? And he'd been polite earlier? She shuffled closer, pressing her ear up against the door.

"Why not Jamesie?" Sirius asked, sounding disappointed. "We never get to go in the girls dormitories at school, well not legally, and now you have the opportunity to root through your love's private things and you turn it down?"

"It seems wrong Padfoot. Those are her things, you wouldn't want her to go through your stuff." James said, thinking of the picture he had stored in his trunk that Lily would probably hex him for if she ever found it. Sirius started to protest but James cut him off. "Normally I'd just let you go solo on this one but as usual Evans will find a way to blame me and I'm not getting caught in this mess. So, as my best mate, please don't?"

"Fine." Sirius huffed. Lily didn't think her jaw could drop anymore. Not only was James choosing to sit out on a prank but it also sounded as though he'd done that before and she'd still yelled at him. She felt a tiny of bit of guilt crawling inside of her but ignored and headed for the stairs, knowing her room was safe for now.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

When Lily arrived downstairs Rose was in the kitchen making dinner.

"Hey Mum." She said, plopping down at the kitchen table.

"I don't know what you're talking about sweetheart. James and Sirius seem like very nice boys. And handsome too." She added, giving her daughter a knowing look. Lily wanted to scream and pull out her hair.

"That's what everyone thinks. They're good at Quidditch, they're popular, they're handsome and therefore they are gods. It's not true though. Potter thinks he's better than everyone else and therefore he can hex them mercilessly. He walks around ruffling his hair so it looks like he just got off his broom, he's in detention all the time, and he's downright disrespectful to some people. And Black. Well he just pretty much shags every girl in sight and then throws them away and picks out another one. Of course none of them care because he's Sirius Black. I honestly don't know how Remus is friends with them." Lily ranted, crossing her arms across her chest. She hoped her Mum would suddenly agree with her and kick them out onto the streets but she just smiled.

"I still think they seem like very nice boys." She said, turning back to the stove. "Would you call your father, see if he's left work? I need to know if he'll be home for dinner." Lily nodded, knowing that for the foreseeable future Black and Potter were staying and there was no point in arguing.

That night at dinner James found himself sitting next to Lily and couldn't be more elated. Lily on the other hand would have to speak to her mother later that night about the seating arrangements. David, Lily's father, and Sirius had struck up a conservation about Sirius' motorcycle that he had acquired over Christmas. Rose and Petunia were giggling, sounding quite like teenage girls, as they discussed plans for Petunia's upcoming wedding in December. That left James and Lily sitting in an awkward silence as he twirled spaghetti around on his fork.

"Look Evans-" He started, before shutting his mouth and going back to his food as though he had never spoken. Lily eyed him curiously but he refused to look over at her. Finally he lifted his eyes from his plate. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Lily asked. Not only was it surprising that he was apologizing but as far as she was aware he didn't do anything yet that would warrant an apology. "What for? You didn't go rifling in my room did you?" She asked, panic washing over.

"No. Why would I do that?" James asked, looking oddly offended.

"I heard you and Sirius and-" Lily stopped talking, realizing that she had given away that she'd been eavesdropping. Instead of looking angry or smirking and making some witty comment like he usually would James just looked embarrassed. His face turned as red as the sauce on his noodles and his hazel eyes shifted uncomfortably.

"You heard that?" He asked after a few seconds of silence.

"I couldn't help but overhear." Lily lied, choosing her words carefully.

"All of it?" James asked.

"No." Lily answered. However his question worried her. Was there something they were talking about that he wouldn't want her to hear? "I heard Sirius suggesting you go rifling in my room and was ready to barge in there when you turned him down. That was oddly," She paused looking for the word. "Nice of you Potter." James, who visibly relaxed when he realized she hadn't heard the beginning of their conservation, smiled.

"Its no problem really. Its not often I put my foot down to Sirius' ideas but some of his plans…." James trailed off, thinking, of a particular idea of Sirius' that nearly killed Snape, that made his gut twist with guilt. James shook his head. "He can be a bit immature sometimes. Though I don't really blame him." James said, glancing over at his best mate who at the moment was wolfing down a forkful of pasta. Lily couldn't help but be irritated by this statement.

"He makes his own decisions. There's no excuse for him acting the way he does." Lily said, now eyeing Sirius' eating habits with disgust.  
>"Well the bad table manners," James started, chuckling. "That's just Sirius being rude. But the jokes, the pranks, the inappropriate comments, even the way he treats girls is just his way of dealing with things."<p>

"What things?"

"His family." James said, not sure if he should be sharing this with Lily but at the same time wanting to defend his friends reputation. "His parents, well they aren't the nicest people."

"He's given everything he wants, I mean he has a freaking motorcycle. How are they not nice people?" Lily said, raising an eyebrow.

"His parents don't give him that stuff." James said. "His parents haven't given him squat since he got sorted into Gryffindor. It's my parents who pamper him. They feel sorry for him, I suppose."

"Feel sorry for him?" Lily repeated, getting more confused by the second. It had always seemed to her that Potter and Black had the perfect lives.

"Honestly Evans are you blind?" James asked but he said it light heartedly. He was frowning however as he glanced over at Sirius again. "You must have heard the howler he got on the second day of school in first year. His parents practically disowned him when they found out he was in Slytherin. Or what about how he showed up bruised every September for three years? How he used to cry late at night or the way he never talks to Regulus even though they're brothers? He used to flinch any time we touched him." James explained, watching as Lily's face switched from one of confusion to one of horror. "Please don't tell him I told you. He doesn't like people pitying him."

"His parents, they hit him?"

"Yeah. For stupid things really. Hanging Gryffindor banners in his room, befriending Pete even though he's not a pureblood. The summer before fifth year he started dating a muggle near his home and his parents got so mad he packed his stuff and ran away. He's been living at my house ever since."

"I wondered why he came with you." Lily mused, not really sure what else to say. James however saved the silence and continued.

"So basically he pranks people and jokes all the time because he just wants to be happy and he wants to make other people happy. He hates when everything is all serious, no pun intended, because it allows him to become upset. Now his girl problem is partly because he is a bit of a womanizer but it's also because his parents never cared for him, showed him any affection, he loves all the attention girls give him. It makes him feel loved."

"That's so sad." Lily whispered, now glancing at Sirius with a look of pity.

"Don't do that."

"Don't do what?" Lily asked, turning back to James.

"Look at him like you feel sorry for him. I told you he hates that."

"Right." Lily picked up her fork and continued eating, a silence falling over them once again. Lily didn't really know what to say. It had never even crossed her mind that Sirius was having trouble at home, much less that he was abused. She didn't even know that he had been living with James for 2 years. She'd thought she'd had the Marauders lives all figured out. What else didn't she know about them? She glanced at the black haired boy next to her, whom she'd just had a civil conversation with for the first time. What didn't she know about James?


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

"Lily why don't you take the boys into town?" Rose suggested, coming into the kitchen where the three teenagers were lounging. James and Sirius were talking animatedly about a Quidditch match that had occurred earlier that week and Lily was engrossed in her book. She glanced up.

"Mum they just got here today. They probably just want to relax." She answered, having no desire to go anywhere in public with James and Sirius.

"Come on Lily, it'll be fun." Rose pleaded, glancing nervously at the clock on the wall. Lily noticed and frowned.

"Something wrong?"

"What?" Rose asked, her head whipping back to face Lily. "Oh um nothing is wrong. Nothing at all."

"Mum." Lily warned.

"Vernon's coming over at 7:30." Rose answered, sitting next to her daughter on the couch, looking defeated. Lily however looked appalled.

"He's coming here?" She asked.

"Yes. That's why I suggested you go to town…"

"You want to get rid of us?" Lily asked. "Do you think we're that embarrassing?"

"No its not that, its just-"

"Petunia doesn't want us here, does she?" Lily asked, her voice scarily calm. Rose started to protest but saw the look on her daughter's face and nodded.

"Figures. Wouldn't want her freak sister to ruin her engagement to a whale. I don't want to be here anyways."

"Lily-"

"Save it Mum." Lily snapped, she saw the look of pain on her mother's face and her expression softened. "I'm not mad at you Mum, I'm mad at her. Really. It'll be fine." Rose nodded, although she hardly felt better. "Potter?"

"Yeah?" He asked eagerly, his head snapping around to face Lily.

"Do you and Black want to go see a movie or something?" She asked.

"A movie?" James asked looking confused. "Whats that?" Lily opened her mouth to answer when Sirius cut in.

"Its kind of like a picture except it tells a story." He explained. He caught sight of Lily's raised eyebrows and smiled. "I've taken Muggle Studies for 4 years and although it appears like I hardly pay attention in class I am a straight O student."

"Wicked!" James said, jumping to his feet. "I'm in."

"Alright. Its not that far so we'll walk." Lily said slowly, still slightly dumbfounded at the fact that Sirius had straight O's. She said bye to her mother, grabbed her purse of the coffee table, and headed out the back door, James and Sirius at her heels.

"Why'd we run out of there so fast?" James asked, as they turned right off of Lily's street and slowed their pace.

"My sister's fiancé is coming over for dinner." Lily explained, making a face. "She didn't want us in the house."

"Ouch." Sirius said, clutching his chest. "That hurts."

"I'm used to it." Lily said shrugging. "Ever since I found out I was a witch when I was 9 I've been kicked out of the house every time my sister has a friend over. She doesn't want them having to meet a freak like me."

"You're not a freak Lily." James told her quietly. Lily didn't respond but she didn't yell at him either. Taking that as a good sign he continued. "How'd you find out you were a witch when you were nine? Someone from Hogwarts doesn't come to your house until your 11, right?"

"Snape told me." Lily answered.

"Snape?" James asked surprised, resisting the urge to call him one of his many nicknames. Lily nodded.

"We're neighbors." She said. "As a matter of fact, that's his house." James looked up to see a small dingy house, not nearly as nice as Lily's, that looked as though no one lived in it.

"I didn't know that."

"You know Evans it probably wasn't the smartest thing to tell me where Snivellus lives." Sirius said, grinning at her in the half-light. Lily frowned.

"Don't even think about it Black."

"No promises." He answered. James quickly interrupted before Lily yelled at Sirius.

"So that's why you were such good friends." He said, feeling slightly relieved that Lily hadn't just liked Snape more than him back on the train in first year. A silence fell over the trio until it was interrupted by Sirius' bark like laughter.

"There is so much sexual tension between the two of you its ridiculous." He said, causing James to go bright red. Lily on the other hand just rolled her eyes and ignored him. "Hey Prongs why don't you tell Lilykins here what you keep under your pillow?"

"Padfoot…." James growled, shooting his best friend a look that clearly said shut up.

"No Potter, why don't you tell me?" Lily asked, completely curious as to what it could be. James blushed really red and continued to glare at Sirius.

"I can't tell you." He said finally.

"Why not?" Lily asked.

"You'll be mad?"

"Mad? Its not illegal, is it Potter?" Lily asked, wholeheartedly believing that when it came to James Potter it could indeed be something illegal.

"No." He answered quickly. "Its nothing like that."

"Then why would I be mad?"

"You just would. Can you please drop it? You haven't yelled at me the entire time I've been here and I'd like to keep it that way." James said, his eyes pleading with her.

"I won't get mad, I promise."

"Yes you will." James said.

"James please tell me." She begged, her curiosity killing her. Sirius watched the scene with amusement, fighting back laughter. James' mouth dropped open and he stopped walking.

"What? What is it?" Lily asked, stopping as well.

"You called me James." He whispered, a grin spreading across his face.

"So?"

"You've never called me James. I like the way it sounds." He said. "Can I call you Lily?"

"I suppose." She said shrugging, trying not to make a big deal out of the fact that she slipped up and called him his real name. She thought James' face might split in half his smile was so wide.

"Yes!" He shouted, pumping his fist in the air. "Padfoot did you hear that? I can call her Lily!" He grabbed his best friend by the shoulders, shaking him back and forth. Sirius just laughed and nodded, used to his friends antics, especially when it came to Lily. A couple walking on the other side of the street glanced at them curiously and Lily giggled.

"Hi Mr. and Mrs. Walters!" She called, waving at them briefly. Realizing it was Lily, who babysat for them on occasion, they smiled and waved back.

"Hey Lily." James said.

"What?"

"Nothing." He answered, smiling. "I just wanted to call you Lily."

"I'm going to revoke your privilege Potter." She said.

"Oh back to Potter." Sirius said, clapping James on the back. "That's rough mate."

"Hey James." Lily teased, hardly believing they were acting like they were best mates when 3 hours ago she had hated him.

"Yes Lily?" He asked eagerly.

"You never told me what you keep under your pillow." This wiped the smile off of James' face and it turned red again. He turned to Sirius who raised his hands in innocence.

"I'm just gonna…" He trailed off, before taking off and sprinting until he was good 20 yards ahead of them.

"Do I have to tell you?" James asked, ruffling his hair. Lily resisted the urge to yell at him about it. If she wanted him to answer she was going to have to be nice.

"If you want me to keep calling you James." She answered. James squirmed and she knew he was fighting an internal battle.

"Alright." He complied, hanging his head. "Promise you won't get mad."

"James it can't be that bad."

"Just promise, ok?" He said. She'd nodded numbly. She'd never seen James like this: so vulnerable, and flustered. She kind of liked it.

"I promise."

"It's a picture of you." He mumbled, staring at his feet, his hands deep in his pockets.

"Excuse me?" Lily asked, not quite sure she had heard him right.

"It's a picture of you." James repeated, refusing to look her in the eye. "Alright I told you. Happy? Can we forget this conversation ever happened?"

"No James. You just told me you have a picture of me under your pillow."

"Well you made me. I told you you would be mad."

"Not mad." Lily said. "Just a little confused, surprised, creeped out."

"Can we please just drop it?" James asked, wishing he had a time turner so he could go back and changed what had just happened.

"Why do you have a picture of me under your pillow? Hell, where did you even get a picture of me?"

"Alice gave it to me in fourth year." James answered. Lily looked even more confused at this bit of information.

"Alice gave it to you? Why?" James bit his lip but decided the only way to come out of this with Lily liking him in anyway was to be completely truthful.

"She found me crying in the charms classroom after you rejected me on Valentines Day that year. I think she felt really bad for me or something. I don't know why she gave it to me but it helped me get through that week." James said, trying to sound nonchalant.

"You cried?" Lily asked, suddenly feeling horrible.

"I do most times. Its okay though." James said shrugging.  
>"Most times? Like the last day of school?"<p>

"I cried." James admitted. "Half the train ride back."

"After the Quidditch final?"

"Cried. Why do you think I wasn't at the after party?" Despite feeling horrible, a giggle escaped Lily. James looked at her incredulously but surprisingly found himself smiling.

"What about during Transfiguration two weeks ago? When McGonagall gave you detention for disrupting the class." She asked with a giggle. James chuckled and nodded.

"You did not." Lily said slapping him on the arm.

"I did too. I'm a major weeper. I just cry all the time." James said, grinning at her.

"Now that is something I thought I would never hear. James Potter, womanizer of Hogwarts, is a crybaby." Lily said giggling. James shook his head.

"Here's something else that will shock you. I'm not a womanizer." He admitted, ruffling his hair again.

"I'm not going to believe that one." Lily said, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Its true. James Potter, _supposed _womanizer of Hogwarts, is a virgin." James said. Lily burst out laughing.

"You're a virgin?"

"Yeah. I'm saving myself, you know?" James confessed, running a hand through his hair uncomfortably.

"That's actually really cool James." Lily said, her laughter subsiding when she saw he was serious. "How come we never talked like this before?"

"Its partly my fault actually. I was git. An arrogant toerag if you will but I didn't even realize it half the time. I worked so hard trying to make you like me I actually made you hate me."

"What changed?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're not being an arrogant toerag now."

"My Mum talked some sense into me."

"Oh so you're a Mummy's boy too?" Lily asked giggling. She realized she was giggling a lot lately. James smiled sheepishly.

"Guilty as charged."

"Well I'm glad she did. Talk some sense into you that is."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Lily answered, smiling at him. "Maybe this summer won't be so bad. And if you behave maybe I'll be your friend. Now come on. We need to catch up to Sirius before he wreaks havoc on the muggles." Lily took off, running down the sidewalk, and James smiled. _Friend_. She'd said they could be friends.

"Better than nothing." He mumbled, before taking off at a run.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

"That was so bloody cool." James exclaimed as they exited the movie theater a couple hours later.

"Glad you liked it." Lily said chuckling. "What did you think Sirius?"

"I slept through a lot of it." Sirius admitted, tossing some popcorn in the air and catching it in his mouth. "I got to use the loo. James you coming?"

"Yeah sure." James answered, following Sirius across the lobby of the theater to the bathroom. Lily rolled her eyes. She didn't think guys went to the bathroom in pairs too. She figured it was probably just James and Sirius who were practically attached at the hip anyways. She was heading off to the girls bathroom when she was suddenly tackled in a hug.

"Lily!" A voice cheered, wrapping their arms around her tightly. Lily's immediate thought was that it was Sirius who had a habit of shrieking her name in a girly voice and nearly knocking her over by hugging her.

"Sirius get off!" She shouted, trying to push him away. She soon realized it was not Sirius because her assailant was much smaller and didn't have the scent of Sirius' aftershave. In fact it was most definitely a girl. Pushing back she nearly shrieked herself. "Hannah?"

"How are you? I haven't seen you since last summer!" Hannah said, pulling her in for another hug. "And who's Sirius?"

"Oh he's my friend that's staying with me this summer. We go to school together." Lily explained, glancing towards the bathroom to see if James and Sirius were coming back.

"He?" Hannah asked, raising her eyebrows suggestively. Lily shook her head fiercely.

"Sirius? Oh god never!"

"He's not ugly is he?" Hannah asked looking disappointment.

"No. He's hot as hell, I'll give him that." Lily admitted. "But he's so, I don't know. He's just Sirius. You'll understand when you meet him."

"When we'll I get to meet this extremely hot friend of yours?" Hannah asked.

"He's in the bathroom with James."

"James? Don't tell me you have two attractive males staying at your house this summer. That almost doesn't seem fair."

"James, hot?" Lily wondered. She'd never really thought about. As much as she had hated Black she'd spent many nights with her friends discussing his good looks and giggling like a bunch of 12 year old girls. But James? She'd never admitted that she thought James was hot. But now that she thought about it he was pretty attractive. Hours of Quidditch out in the sun made him tan and muscular and his hazel eyes always sparkled with mischief. She'd even go as far as to say that his hair was attractive. "Yeah I suppose he is."  
>"Thanks Evans." James said casually throwing an arm over her shoulders. "You're pretty hot yourself."<p>

"What did I say Potter? Behave or we won't be friends." Lily said, pushing his arm off. He smiled sheepishly and backed away. Sirius appeared on her other shoulder.

"Hey Lilykins who's your friend?" He asked, not even trying to hide the fact that he was looking at Hannah up and down.

"This is Hannah. We went to primary school together." She introduced. Lily pointed to the boys in turn. "Hannah this is James and Sirius."

"Nice to meet you." She said shaking each of their hands.  
>"We were going to go and get some ice cream or something, if you want to come along?" Lily explained, knowing very well that Vernon would still bit at their house and they no reason to go home quite yet.<p>

"I'd love too! I feel like we haven't talked in ages." Hannah said, hooking her arm through Lily's. They started off towards the exit and Sirius caught James' eye, waggling his eyebrows. James just chuckled and then two of them set off after the girls.

"So whats up with you and James?" Hannah asked as soon as they were out into the warm June air. "No way you guys are just friends. Spill."

"There's nothing going on between us. You could hardly even call us friends. We had our first conversation today where we didn't scream at each other. Well, where I didn't scream at him."

"Well he's so in love with you. You can see it in the way he looks at you." Hannah gushed, glancing back behind her where James was currently giving Sirius a piggyback ride, both of them laughing their heads off.

"He's told me he's loved me before." Lily admitted.

"And you didn't say it back? That's harsh Lils. Do you know what that can do to a guy's self esteem?" Hannah asked. Lily just rolled her eyes.

"No worries James never really loved me. He's been trying to get me to date him ever since third year. I was the first girl not to fall for the Potter charm so it's like a little game to him and once he gets me he'll throw me aside like the rest of the girls. Which is why he'll never catch me."

"I don't know Lils. It seemed to me like this boy is head over heels for you. You have to have seen it. Think of things he's done."

"Well today he admitted that he cries nearly every time I reject him. That's something I never even imagined; James Potter doesn't cry. He also informed me that he sleeps with a picture of me under his pillow. Up until today I've always called him Potter and I accidentally slipped and called him James and he started screaming like a banshee, a big smile on his face. He also told me he was saving himself for the one and I could swear he was thinking of me." Lily froze as she opened her mouth to continue. She gaped like a fish for couple seconds before she finally found her voice again. "Bloody hell. He really does love me. He hasn't been lying all these years! When he told me he loved me, he wasn't lying and I yelled at him. I must of broke his heart. I feel awful."

"He sleeps with a picture of you under his pillow?" Hannah asked, placing a hand over her heart. "That may be the cutest thing I've ever heard."

"Hannah what do I do? I don't love him. I can barely stand the guy." Lily said, the idea of rejecting James Potter suddenly seeming parallel to kicking a puppy. How could she reject him again knowing that he cried every time she did?

"You know why you can barely stand him? You aren't open to the idea of liking him. You've been scared that he'll toss you to the side once he has you, which is completely understandable, but now you know that he's in it for the long run and you need to be more open to the idea of him. Start by being his friend."

"I will never love James Potter." Lily said wrinkling her nose. "There's too many things about him that bother me and he can be git sometimes."

"Or maybe you only see the bad things about him." Hannah said quietly. "Seriously Lils. He seems sweet and fun and he is pretty attractive. Whats the worse that could happen?"

"Fine. I'll be his friend. Only because I'm stuck with him the whole summer."

"And Sirius?" Hannah asked.

"And Sirius." Lily confirmed.

"He doesn't happen to have a girlfriend does he?" Hannah asked. Lily laughed, the idea of Sirius Black actually having a girlfriend seeming utterly ridiculous to her. "Because he's really hot."

"Not you too." Lily groaned, wishing there was one girl out there who didn't think Black was a god. She looked back at James and Sirius, who were attracting quite a lot of stares and sighed. "This is going to be a long summer."


End file.
